Occupiers Destroyed Nearly 9,000 Hectares of Forest in Eastern Ukraine Luhansk Region: Reveals Scientific Study

In a recent article titled "Environmental Policy and Territory Management: Ukraine's Emerald Network Preserves Forest Recovery Amidst War," published in the "Nature" journal on November 28, 2023, authors, including partners and experts from the ForestCom, shed light on the remarkable increase in forests in the controlled part of Ukraine's Lugansk region. The article also highlights the challenges of forest destruction, including illegal logging, in temporarily occupied territories from 2014 to 2020. These challenges underscore the critical need for robust legislative measures to safeguard Ukraine's forests. 

The war in Ukraine is wreaking havoc not only on human lives, the economy, and social well-being but, significantly, on the environment. The researchers shed light on the real consequences of war, affecting not only European ecological security and biodiversity but the world at large.

In a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland, the Department of Mathematical Modeling and Data Analysis, and Forest Initiatives and Society (ForestCom), Ukrainian scientists conducted a study titled "Conservation policies and management in the Ukrainian Emerald Network have maintained reforestation rate despite the war". The research investigates the war's impact on institutional connections supporting ecological resilience and nature conservation efforts, particularly in the Smaragdovaya (Emerald) Network areas.

The study proposes a methodology for quantitatively assessing the war's influence on forest preservation and regeneration. Findings highlight the significant consequences of local institutional fragmentation in protected areas due to the war, emphasizing the positive impact of creating the Emerald Network both before and after the conflict began. 

The research notes that the military conflict in 2014 and the subsequent territorial segmentation into occupied and non-occupied areas changed trends between 2013 and 2020. Areas under Ukrainian control maintained reforestation and conservation processes, with an annual increase of +1.19 ± 0.18 thousand hectares and a total area of +8.3 ± 1.25 thousand hectares. In contrast, territories under Russian control experienced a rapid loss of forest cover, with an annual loss rate of −1.23 ± 0.15 thousand hectares and a total loss of −8.6 ± 1 thousand hectares.

The Emerald Network, established across Europe to preserve species and habitats at risk of extinction continent-wide, plays a crucial role in these findings. With Ukraine's anticipated accession to the European Union, substantial funding for conservation and species recovery initiatives within Emerald Network territories is expected.

Access the full article in the open-access journal Nature Portfolio "Communication Earth & Environment": https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-01099-4?fbclid=IwAR3eesyoWnVdXgkGNmbych1q3NDI7I7Zj30j37rEg0aYRCyPYEVkYmzUnL0

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